Where Do Little Birds Go?

Where Do Little Birds Go? follows the story of Lucy Fuller in the heat of London’s swinging sixties, where she has hopes of landing her dream job as a West End star (or a barmaid, her second choice). Based on the true story of Lisa Prescott, who was help captive by the Kray Twins and imprisoned as a sex slave for Frank Mitchell, the show is propelled into moments of lightness and darkness where the audience is invited into the world of Lucy Fuller. Honestly told and beautifully written, this is certainly worth grabbing a ticket to see. 

This show really invites you to look at the subtlety of action and movement.

We meet Lucy (based on Prescott) as a naïve eighteen year old, completely awestruck by the prospects of moving to London, and, after landing a job as a hostess at the Krays club Winston’s, she thinks she has it all. We are immediately introduced to Lucy (played by Jessica Butcher) who takes the stage, gliding across the floor, singing with confidence against a fun backing track. It's her show, and she owns it. The production cleverly combines theatricality with reality where movement and physicalisation is essential for its trajectory. As Butcher puts on a show, she sings, she dances, but all of this is skilfully entwined into the plot and not made tangential. Butcher really engages her audience from the opening, while her accent is convincing and the subtlety of her gestures make her the perfect candidate for this role. I only wished that Butcher had more to play with, and unfortunately the script couldn't provide this, as it lacked further context.

As the story heightens, and Lucy’s situation becomes more desperate, one ought to commend Sarah Meadows for her subtle direction that amalgamates physicality with repetitive movements, communicating Lucy's ordeal in a way that is simple yet neatly sinister. Even the horror of these moments contains an element of beauty that is compelling.

The set seems elaborate with its three tiered levels and glittering backdrop, but this show really invites you to look at the subtlety of action and movement. Its performative elements are obvious to the eye, but the true story of Lucy Fuller is conveyed through what lies underneath.